Winnipeg police are warning the public about increasing incidents of a fraud known as the "grandparent scam" occurring in Winnipeg.
Officers said a grandparent was recently taken for $6,000, which the scammers had claimed was supposed to help a grandchild in trouble, who was later found to be fine.
These basic scams involve the suspect, or suspects, calling an elderly grandparent and claiming to be his or her grandchild, police said.
The suspect will claim to be in jail, or have some other critical emergency, and in need of money.
The fake grandchild will often encourage the grandparent not to say anything to anyone else, as he or she is embarrassed about being in trouble. In some cases, another suspect, pretending to be a lawyer, will also talk to the victim and to say where and to whom to send the money, officers said.
Police said that a number of seniors avoided being scammed by asking the caller their full name, which caused the caller to hang up immediately.
To read more about this scam, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.
